Specops Device Trust is a cloud-based security product from Specops Software (part of Outpost24) that ties access decisions to user identity and the device's security state. It addresses a specific gap that multi-factor authentication (MFA) alone cannot close: an attacker who steals a session token or login credentials can still access your systems if access decisions are based solely on user identity. The product binds users to enrolled, verified devices and continuously checks device security throughout every session. This article covers how Specops Device Trust works, what it checks, and how to deploy it.

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Microsoft has released the optional preview update KB5124006 for Windows 11 version 26H1, which raises the OS build to 28000.3086. The update adds taskbar positioning, a smaller taskbar, Start menu size options, and new Windows Search privacy controls. For administrators, the more relevant changes are the rollout of Administrator protection, general availability of Autopilot device association, Microsoft Execution Containers (MXC) process isolation, and standalone ML-KEM for TLS. The update also removes WMIC from 26H1 and lists two known issues that affect domain-joined PCs and USB audio devices.

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Microsoft will retire the Windows 11 Microsoft 365 companion apps People, Files, and Calendar on December 16, 2026—but they will not uninstall themselves. After Microsoft stopped updates and automatic installations, users and administrators must remove existing copies and prevent them from being redeployed.

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Microsoft has confirmed that the September 2026 Windows 11 updates can disrupt Always On VPN, expanding the certificate-authentication failures reported after KB5124008 was deployed. The company is investigating the newly acknowledged connection problem, which can leave enterprise devices unable to establish their automatic VPN tunnel.

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Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 KB5124010 does not include the WinRE Wi-Fi enhancement previously announced for the update, despite earlier reports that KB5124010 would let WinRE reuse saved Wi-Fi profiles. The feature will arrive later, so administrators should not expect it in the October 13 Patch Tuesday release.

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A Chinese threat actor tracked as UTA0565 used fake media and NGO websites to deliver CLEANGULP, a malware family nobody had documented before, to Asian government targets. The group used the Chrome-Windows zero-day chain behind the BlueMoon exploit kit, which has spread across China-linked espionage campaigns. That makes UTA0565 one more operator of a kit that already appears to be shared among several state-aligned groups.

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Windows 11's optional September preview update, KB5124010, finally fixes File History. After the mandatory KB5124008 Patch Tuesday release, File History had been failing silently. Microsoft had already confirmed that its September updates can break File History backups. The fix only ships in an optional release, so most PCs will have to wait for the October 13 Patch Tuesday to get it through normal channels.

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Microsoft announced the general availability of user-initiated provisioning for Windows 365 Reserve. Windows 365 Reserve is a business continuity service that gives employees short-term access to a Cloud PC, a virtualized Windows desktop hosted in Microsoft's cloud, when their primary work device is unavailable. With this feature, eligible users can start provisioning their own Reserve Cloud PC directly from the Windows App instead of waiting for IT. You control the capability through a Windows App setting in Microsoft Intune and scope it to Microsoft Entra ID user groups.

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A new BigDiskBuster proof of concept can prevent Microsoft Defender from installing platform and security intelligence updates by temporarily consuming all available disk space. The tool leaves Defender running but can keep its protection content stuck at older versions; no Microsoft patch, CVE, or advisory is currently available.

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Windows 11 KB5124010 is now available as an optional, non-security preview for versions 24H2 and 25H2, advancing them to builds 26100.9550 and 26200.9550 ahead of the October 2026 release. It continues the customization and management rollout introduced in the September 2026 Windows 11 update, but adds broader File Explorer, accessibility, recovery, Bluetooth, and Copilot changes.

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Microsoft has confirmed that September 2026 security updates can disable File History across supported Windows 10 and Windows 11 releases, leaving users without fresh file backups. The regression expands the problem documented in a Windows 11 Insider build that fixes File History, but production systems still lack a permanent repair.

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TASK#STOMP is a Windows backdoor that can keep returning even after one malicious file is deleted. Securonix researchers found it harvesting saved Wi-Fi passwords, clipboard data, screenshots, and corporate documents while maintaining at least five separate startup mechanisms and uploading new or modified files to attacker-controlled servers.

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Microsoft’s KB5129195 emergency update still leaves some Windows 11 systems without USB audio, despite partly repairing multichannel USB audio. Microsoft is investigating the remaining Code 10, no-sound, and unresponsive-volume failures, but a complete fix may not arrive before the October 13, 2026, Patch Tuesday.

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Putin's online State Duma vote was recorded on a Dell monitor displaying a watermark that read "Activate Windows." The footage shows an awkward clash between Russia’s push for domestic technology and the American hardware and software brands visible in an official Kremlin video.

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Microsoft Edge is getting an opt-in autolaunch experience for managed Windows devices in November 2026. Users will be able to decide whether Edge starts when they sign in, while administrators can enforce startup, block it, or allow individual choice through policy.

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Microsoft Copilot’s Windows and macOS desktop apps can now open web pages beside chat in a built-in, multi-tab browser. The feature is available for administrator testing through the `BrowsingEnabled` policy, while Microsoft plans broader rollout for late November 2026.

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Windows 11 Insider build 29671.1000 adds extensive Start menu controls as Microsoft continues the Future Platforms preview series following build 29667’s fixes. Testers can now control which Start sections appear, choose a fixed menu size, and hide profile details, while the release also repairs Linux VM folder sharing and a UAC-related system freeze.

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Windows 11 Insider Beta build 26220.9492 addresses two problems that can disrupt administrator workflows: File History incorrectly reporting that no usable backup drives exist and Hyper-V Linux guests losing access to shared host folders. The 25H2 preview also adds a Live Captions setting that controls whether screen-reader audio appears in transcriptions.

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Windows 11 Insider Experimental 26H1 build 28120.3032 adds Cloud rebuild, allowing administrators to reinstall Windows and device drivers from WinRE even when the installed system will not start. The feature extends Microsoft’s recovery work after remote Cloud rebuild and drive sanitization appeared in related Insider builds, while this release also fixes Hyper-V folder sharing and an Easy Anti-Cheat launch failure.

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